Alba Marina Cotes

Radopholus similus, commonly known as the burrowing nematode, is one of the major pathogens affecting banana production. Currently, the control of this pathogen relies on chemicals, as no resistant varieties are available. However, new control methods, such the application of ensilage biostimulants (EBs) near the banana rhizosphere, have shown effectiveness. Nevertheless, the impact of this organic control method on soil nematodes and other microbial components remains unknown. This study evaluates the effects of EB application on the native nematofauna of banana. EBs altered the flow of carbon, nutrients, and energy in ways that influenced the abundance of fungivorous and bacterivorous taxa, while consistently reducing the number of plant-parasitic nematodes throughout the experimental period. Specifically, EB application in the soil increased the abundance of certain free-living nematodes, including Aphelenchus, Aphelenchoides, Cephalobidae, and Rhabditidae, while decreasing both the abundance and diversity of phytoparasitic nematodes. In contrast, Criconematidae, Hoplolaimidae, Meloidogyne, Tylenchidae, and R. similis were more abundant in the control and oxamyl-treated soils. EBs can play a crucial role in strategies aimed to improve soil resilience, fertility, and natural suppression, provided that more sustainable production practices are adopted.

Cape gooseberry ( Physalis peruviana ) is Colombia's second most exported fruit, with a market worth 37.8 million USD in 2021. Fusarium oxysporum f sp. physalis ( Foph ) is arguably the most devastating pathogen causing losses of up to 80%. Managing this disease is challenging due to pathogen resistance or the reduced efficacy of commercial fungicides and the production of resistant structures allowing pathogen survival in the soil for up to 30 years. Thus, new methods of control are necessary. Two cape gooseberry farms (organic vs. conventional) were detected free from Foph in Nariño. We hypothesize that the soil microbiome might have a suppressive effect against vascular wilt, caused by Foph . To test this, farm soils were propagated by adding 10% farm soil and 90% peat soil. Then, peat soil (control) and propagated soils were inoculated with Foph . A decrease of 65%–68% in disease incidence and a 70% in disease severity reduction was observed in seedlings grown in propagated soils compared to peat soil. We then used next‐generation sequencing to study the soil microbiome to understand the possible mechanisms for disease suppression of propagated soils. We conclude that despite the high diversity of soil microbiomes, the relative abundance of some taxa might be a more important indicator of disease suppression than the presence of specific taxa.

Bacillus velezensis Bs006 has shown antagonistic activity on Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. physali and biocontrol activity against Fusarium wilt (FW) in golden berry (Physalis peruviana). We hypothesized that strain Bs006 has the ability to synthesize antimicrobial cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs) like other members of the same species. However, if so, the real effects of CLPs on F. oxysporum f. sp. physali and their potential as a biocontrol tool against Physalis-FW have not been elucidated. In this study the CLPs profile of Bs006 in liquid culture and antagonist–plant–pathogen interactions were characterized. Also, the potential effects of supernatant free of bacteria against F. oxysporum f. sp. physali and FW were explored and compared with the effects of pure CLPs. Ultraperformance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry analysis revealed the capacity of Bs006 to synthesize homologous compounds of iturins, surfactins, and fengycins in liquid culture and on the inhibition zone against F. oxysporum f. sp. physali in dual confrontation tests. Bs006 supernatant reduced the germination and growth of F. oxysporum f. sp. physali and caused vacuolization, swelling, and lysis of F. oxysporum f. sp. physali cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Pure fengycins affected the development of F. oxysporum f. sp. physali from 11 mg/liter and iturins from 21 mg/liter. In a gnotobiotic system, Bs006 colonized the root surface of golden berry, inhibited the growth of F. oxysporum f. sp. physali, and produced CLPs. Individual application of Bs006 and supernatant protected the plants from F. oxysporum f. sp. physali infections by 37 to 53%, respectively. Meanwhile, fengycins reduced the disease progress by 39%. These results suggest further studies to select an optimum combination of Bs006 and supernatant or CLPs, which might be a good option as biofungicide against F. oxysporum f. sp. physali.

El chancro del tallo y la sarna negra de la papa son enfermedades ocasionadas por el hongo Rhizoctonia solani grupo de anastomosis tres (GA-3PT), el cual afecta raíces, tallos y tubérculos de papa y reduce el rendimiento de los cultivos. El objetivo de la presente investigación fue determinar la diversidad genética de R. solani GA-3PT presente en los departamentos colombianos de Antioquia, Boyacá y Cundinamarca. La restricción enzimática de la región ribosomal (RFLP, por sus siglas en inglés) ITS-5.8S permitió la diferenciación e identificación específica de los grupos de anastomosis GA-3PT y GA2-1 y confirmó que el GA-3PT es el principal agente causal y origen etiológico de la enfermedad en Colombia. Mediante amplificación aleatoria de marcadores microsatélites (RAMs), por sus siglas en inglés), se observaron dos agrupamientos dentro de R. solani GA-3PT; el GA-3PT (A) comparte un índice de similitud del 78 % entre sí, en comparación con el GA-3PT (B) que presenta una similitud del 79 % entre sus aislamientos. Los agrupamientos no están relacionados con su origen geográfico, sino con el grupo de anastomosis al que pertenecen. La diversidad genética de Nei [D] de 0,25 confirma una alta diversidad genética para el GA-3PT mediante análisis RAMs, relacionada con un alto potencial evolutivo al interior del grupo GA-3PT en Colombia. Finalmente, el hongo R. solani GA-3PT que se obtuvo en Cundinamarca tiene potencial adaptativo para emerger como patógeno de la papa criolla (Solanum phureja) en Colombia, posiblemente, debido a la semejanza de los patosistemas.

The cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) is a Solanaceae species with enormous economic importance in Colombia; it is the second most exported fruit, after bananas. Vascular wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. physali (Fox) is the most limiting factor of this crop, with losses of up to 80% of production. Biological control is a promising alternative for controlling this pathogen. Bacteria and fungi, originally isolated from potentially suppressive soils of cape gooseberry crops in Nariño, Colombia with different management (organic and conventional), were evaluated as biocontrol agents of Fox using a gnotobiotic model (seedlings cultured under axenic conditions with defined microbial strains). Of the 64 isolated microorganisms, 37.5% (15 bacteria and 9 fungi) were discarded because of toxicological risks and an unknow potential biological control. The remaining 62.5% of the microorganisms, 14 bacteria and 26 fungi, were evaluated to assess their potential as biological control agents against Fox. The gnotobiotic model system evaluated the protection and plant growth promotion characteristics. Response variables were used to group the microorganism using a principal component analysis (PCA), and five clusters were obtained. Cluster number four concentrated the 10 microorganisms (three bacteria and seven fungi) with the highest protection values against Fox, with a positive effect on growth. The isolates were identified as two Bacillus subtilis strains, Rhodococcus sp., Podospora setosa, Debaryomyces vindobonensis, Plectosphaerella plurivora, Acinetobacter rhizosphaerae, Umbelopsis sp. and two strains of Trichoderma koningiopsis. The gnobiotic system offered clear advantages for evaluating and selecting microorganisms with a biological control potential against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. physalis.

The combination of Trichoderma virens Gl006 and B. velezensis Bs006 as a consortium has high potential to control Fusarium wilt (FW) of cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. physali (Foph). However, the interactions between these two microorganisms that influence the biocontrol activity as a consortium have not been studied. Here, we studied the interactions between Gl006 and Bs006 that keep their compatibility under in vitro and greenhouse conditions. Antagonism tests between Gl006 and Bs006 inoculated both individually and in consortium against Foph strain Map5 was carried out on several solid media. The effect of supernatant of each selected microorganism on growth, conidia germination, biofilm formation and antagonistic activity on its partner was also studied. Biocontrol activity by different combinations of cells and supernatants from both microorganisms against Fusarium wilt was evaluated under greenhouse conditions. In vitro antagonism of the consortium against Foph showed a differential response among culture media and showed compatibility among BCA under nutritional conditions close to those of the rhizosphere. The supernatant of Bs006 did not affect the antagonistic activity of Gl006 and vice versa. However, the supernatant of Bs006 promoted the biocontrol activity of Gl006 in a synergistic way under greenhouse, reducing the disease severity by 71%. These results prove the compatibility between T. virens Gl006 and B. velezensis Bs006 as a potential tool to control Fusarium wilt of cape gooseberry.

La mora es una fruta de alta demanda para consumo en fresco y uso agroindustrial, debido a su exquisito sabor, sus múltiples usos y sus cualidades biofuncionales. En Colombia, este cultivo es muy dinámico: en los últimos 10 años, el área sembrada se incrementó en un 12 % y su producción aumentó el 24 %. Además, constituye el ingreso de al menos 20.000 pequeños productores de economía campesina, quienes se enfrentan a diversas dificultades por no disponer de la tecnología adecuada. Frente a este panorama, esta obra se propone orientar a los productores para un manejo más tecnificado y consecuente con las condiciones requeridas para una óptima producción. Dentro de los temas abordados, se destacan las características socioeconómicas de los productores, el origen del fruto, su taxonomía, su morfología, las variedades, las condiciones climáticas y de suelo, los sistemas de propagación, el manejo agronómico, el manejo de arvenses, la aplicación de poda y tutorado, la fertilización, el manejo de plagas y enfermedades, las buenas prácticas agrícolas, cosecha y poscosecha, su agroindustria y los costos de producción. Estos contenidos son el resultado de múltiples investigaciones, revisión de la literatura disponible y transferencia de tecnología e innovación adelantados por un grupo multidisciplinario de investigadores de AGROSAVIA y de otras entidades, así como de productores exitosos. Se espera contribuir, así, a mantener y mejorar la productividad de forma sostenible, a generar productos inocuos, de calidad y con valor agregado, cuyos beneficios económicos y sociales se puedan distribuir de manera equitativa en la cadena productiva.

Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) fruit has gained recognition owing to its nutritional value and versatility to be consumed processed or as a fresh product. These characteristics have made it an important product in both national and international markets. One of the main limitations for this crop is Fusarium wilt caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. physalis, for which biological control is emerging as an alternative to conventional management with chemical synthesis products. However, information on the effect that biological control agents have on the growth and development of plants is scarce. In this research, the physiological response of cape gooseberry plants (stomatal conductance, leaf water potential, growth parameters, total chlorophyll, carotenoid, and proline and malondialdehyde contents) to the treatment with three potential biocontrol agents (BCAs) Trichoderma koningiopsis, Trichoderma virens, and Bacillus velezensis was determined. The study was conducted under greenhouse conditions; F. oxysporum was inoculated in the soil, and BCAs were soil drenched in the germination and transplanting stages. Plants inoculated with the pathogen and plants without inoculation were used as controls. It was found that the plants inoculated and treated with T. virens showed the lowest disease levels (area under the disease progress curve of 48.5 and disease severity index of 2.1). Additionally, they showed a lower water potential (−0.317 Mpa), a greater leaf area (694.7 cm²), and a higher stomatal conductance (110.3 mmol m⁻² s⁻¹) compared with the control. Consequently, it can be concluded that T. virens can be a good candidate for the management of Fusarium wilt in the cape gooseberry crop.